A. If an offender is indicted on or after August 1, 2017, for the crime of first degree
murder (R.S. 14:30) where the offender was under the age of eighteen years at the time of
the commission of the offense, the district attorney may file a notice of intent to seek a
sentence of life imprisonment without possibility of parole within one hundred eighty days
after the indictment. If the district attorney timely files the notice of intent, a hearing shall
be conducted after conviction and prior to sentencing to determine whether the sentence shall
be imposed with or without parole eligibility. If the court determines that the sentence shall
be imposed with parole eligibility, the offender shall be eligible for parole pursuant to the
provisions of R.S. 15:574.4(E). If the district attorney fails to timely file the notice of intent,
the sentence shall be imposed with parole eligibility and the offender shall be eligible for
parole pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 15:574.4(E) without the need of a judicial
determination pursuant to the provisions of this Article. If the court determines that the
sentence shall be imposed without parole eligibility, the offender shall not be eligible for
parole.

B.(1) If an offender was indicted prior to August 1, 2017, for the crime of first degree
murder (R.S. 14:30) or second degree murder (R.S. 14:30.1) where the offender was under
the age of eighteen years at the time of the commission of the offense and a hearing was not
held pursuant to this Article prior to August 1, 2017, to determine whether the offender's
sentence should be imposed with or without parole eligibility, the district attorney may file
a notice of intent to seek a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole
within ninety days of August 1, 2017. If the district attorney timely files the notice of intent,
a hearing shall be conducted to determine whether the sentence shall be imposed with or
without parole eligibility. If the court determines that the sentence shall be imposed with
parole eligibility, the offender shall be eligible for parole pursuant to R.S. 15:574.4(G). If the
district attorney fails to timely file the notice of intent, the offender shall be eligible for
parole pursuant to R.S. 15:574.4(E) without the need of a judicial determination pursuant to
the provisions of this Article. If the court determines that the sentence shall be imposed
without parole eligibility, the offender shall not be eligible for parole.

(2) If an offender was indicted prior to August 1, 2017, for the crime of first degree
murder (R.S. 14:30) or second degree murder (R.S. 14:30.1) where the offender was under
the age of eighteen years at the time of the commission of the offense and a hearing was held
pursuant to this Article prior to August 1, 2017, the following shall apply:

(a) If the court determined at the hearing that was held prior to August 1, 2017, that
the offender's sentence shall be imposed with parole eligibility, the offender shall be eligible
for parole pursuant to R.S. 15:574.4(G).

(b) If the court determined at the hearing that was held prior to August 1, 2017, that
the offender's sentence shall be imposed without parole eligibility, the offender shall not be
eligible for parole.

C. At the hearing, the prosecution and defense shall be allowed to introduce any
aggravating and mitigating evidence that is relevant to the charged offense or the character
of the offender, including but not limited to the facts and circumstances of the crime, the
criminal history of the offender, the offender's level of family support, social history, and
such other factors as the court may deem relevant. The admissibility of expert witness
testimony in these matters shall be governed by Chapter 7 of the Code of Evidence.

D. The sole purpose of the hearing is to determine whether the sentence shall be
imposed with or without parole eligibility. The court shall state for the record the
considerations taken into account and the factual basis for its determination. Sentences
imposed without parole eligibility and determinations that an offender is not entitled to
parole eligibility should normally be reserved for the worst offenders and the worst cases.

Acts 2013, No. 239, §2; Acts 2017, No. 277, §2.

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